The Syrian Child

عجِبتُ للبحرِ إذ يُلقيكَ مُنفرِدا … ويرحلُ الموجُ عن جَنْبَيكَ مُبتعِدا I was amazed at the ocean that left you like that. All alone. Even the waves have departed far from your side

أخالهُ واجماً من هولِ صدْمَتِهِ … أو لائماً نَفْسَهُ إذ لم يَمُدَّ يدا I thought perhaps he is in shock at the great grief he has seen Or perhaps he blames himself for not putting out his hand to help

أو جاء معتذراً مما ألَمَّ بهِ … ويُشهِدُ الأرضَ في قتلاهُ ما قصدا Or perhaps he was remorseful about what had happened within him Wanting to establish witnesses on Earth, that he had not intended to kill

جلبْتَهُ سالماً من قَعْرِ مُظلِمةٍ … ليرقدَ الْيَوْمَ بالشطآنِ مُلتَحِدا You brought him sound, from the middle of darkness So he will sleep on the shore, and make it finally to his grave

احْفَظْهُ يا بَرُّ فالأجيالُ قادمةٌ … كيما ترى بائعَ الأوطانِ ما حَصَدا Please, land, protect this body for the generations to come So that those who sold their nations will see what they have harvested

حتى يكونَ على الأيامِ ملحمةً … تُردِدُ الأمُّ فحواها ومن وَلَدا So that it will be the story of our time repeated for ever, by all mothers, and fathers likewise

ولا أُراهُ إذا زاروه يرمقهم … فما رأى سائلاً منهم ولا مدَدا Don’t think that when the people visit him, that he will even look at them For he never heard them asking about him before, or giving him any support

أكبَّ للأرضِ حيث الأمُّ قد فُقِدَت … وأطرقَ الطَّرفَ إغضاءً لِما شَهِدا So he placed his face on the Earth, looking out to where he lost his mother And he has not looked at anyone else, out of shame as to what he has seen

كي لا يَرَى باكياً منهم إذا قدِموا … فدمعُهم كاذبٌ لا شكَّ إن وُجِدا Let no-one cry about him as they come Their tears are a lie, no doubt, if they even exist at all

وما عسى دمعُهم يوماً سينفعُه … إذا دَعَتْهُ جنانُ الخلدِ لو وَفَدا What kind of benefit will their tears have for him anyway When the Eternal Heavens call him, when he goes to it

لا باركَ اللهُ في الأشرارِ قاطبةً … وأنجز اللهُ في بشارَ ما وعدا May Allah never bless the evil people, all of them And may Allah see out His threat against Bashar as promised